TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Following a decision to build a 3 nanometer foundry in the U.S., erroneous reports about Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) have surfaced, with some prominent academics saying the intention is to create anti-American sentiment and sway elections on Saturday (Nov. 26).
A day before the nine-in-one elections, a group of Taiwanese engineering professors issued a joint letter condemning Beijing-friendly local media outlets, Want Want China Times Media Group and online news outlet CTITV News. In the letter, they accused the media organizations of distorting facts about TSMC's investment plans in Arizona.
In doing, it is claimed, the media outlets jumped to the false conclusion that Washington is ripping off TSMC to support its advanced chip ambition and thereby hollowing out the "backbone of Taiwan's economy." The letter also criticized pro-China politicians for joining the "fake news" chorus because this served their purpose of creating anti-American sentiment in the hope of swaying voters.
The academics who signed their names to the letter were:
- Lin Tsung-nan (林宗男), electrical engineering professor at National Taiwan University
- Professor Lin Ying-dar (林盈達), professor at the Information Technology Service Center, National Chiao Tung University
- Li Jung-shian (李宗憲) and Chang Soon-jyh (張順志), electrical engineering professors at National Cheng Kung University
In 2015, they started an initiative calling on the Taiwan government to scrutinize Chinese investments in Taiwanese IC design houses and prevent China from controlling Taiwan's semiconductor businesses.
In the letter, the engineering professors said pro-China politicians and media outlets were employing "cuttlefish techniques" to falsely connect facts (Washington's block on chips to China) with TSMC's plan to build an advanced wafer fab in Arizona. This was done by saying, "Washington is forcing TSMC to move its advanced manufacturing process out of Taiwan to the U.S.," "Washington is hollowing out TSMC," and "TSMC is to become an American tech company."
Among other items of misinformation, the letter pointed out, was a news headline by CTITV claiming, "TSMC is chartering a flight to move engineers specializing in advanced manufacturing processes and their families to the U.S." The academics said the Beijing-friendly media outlet was deliberately creating panic with fake news and trying to undermine Taiwanese people's confidence in the government.
"We are calling on voters not to vote, tomorrow, for any candidates representing Beijing-friendly political parties and to fight against information warfare with your ballots, showing our determination to safeguard Taiwan's important semiconductor business," the letter read.
